AP/ February 11, 2009, 4:37 PM

Rushdie And "Top Chef" Host Lakshmi Split

The scene after a shooting in North Seattle.

The scene after a shooting in North Seattle. / KIRO

The three-year marriage of Salman Rushdie and Padma Lakshmi has ended, their publicists said Monday.

"Salman Rushdie has agreed to divorce his wife, Padma Lakshmi, because of her desire to end their marriage," his representative, Jin Auh, said in a statement. "He asks that the media respect his privacy at this difficult time."

Lakshmi's publicist, Christina Papadopoulos, said in a separate statement that Lakshmi "has agreed with her husband-author, Salman Rushdie, to end their marriage."

Photos: Celebrity Splits

"After an 8-year relationship including over three years of marriage, Lakshmi regrets that their mutual efforts failed to make the marriage work," the statement said.

Rushdie's recent British knighthood led to worldwide protests from Muslims angered by his 1989 novel, "The Satanic Verses."

Iran's late spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a 1989 fatwa, or religious edict, ordering Muslims to kill Rushdie because "The Satanic Verses" allegedly insulted Islam. The threat forced Rushdie to live in hiding for a decade.

Besides "The Satanic Verses," Rushdie's novels include "The Moor's Last Sigh" and "Midnight's Children," a Booker Prize winner and one of the most highly praised books of the past quarter century.

Lakshmi is the host of Bravo's "Top Chef" and the author of the cookbook "Easy Exotic." She starred in the 2006 ABC miniseries "The Ten Commandments."
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5 Comments Add a Comment
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toldyouso21 says:
what's with all the asteriks? new CBS censor ploy? Anyway--women do it for the money. Men are into looks but in the end, women trend toward security. Which is why an 18 year old can end up with a 70 year old--if he can provide her with money, house, car, etc. Even if he needs viagra and 2 popsicle sticks to get it up. Women are commondities. We all know this. So in the end, we market ourselves to the highest bidder. We don't like to think of it like that, because it is too close to prostitution--but look at what is touted for women: gorgeous hair, nails, clothes, jewelry, makeup and a body she can buy. Why? To get money of course. Which often means getting a guy with money. His age and even his looks are secondary in the end.
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toldyouso21 says:
***What*** ***would*** ***a*** ***gorgeous*** ***woman*** ***like*** ***her*** ***want*** ***to*** ***do*** ***with*** ***someone*** ***that*** ***ugly***? ***What*** ***is*** ***wrong*** ***with*** ***these*** ***lovely*** ***women*** ***that*** ***marry*** ***men*** ***like*** ***that***; ***do*** ***they*** ***not*** ***have*** ***any*** ***self***-***esteem***?
***Help*** ***me*** ***out*** ***here***, ***someone***..
***Posted*** ***by*** ***bequialife*** ***at*** ***08***:***55*** ***PM*** : ***Jul*** ***02***, ***2007***


***You*** ***can***'***t*** ***be*** ***that*** ***naive***. ***She*** ***married*** ***him*** ***the*** ***same*** ***reason*** ***a*** ***22*** ***year*** ***old*** ***goes*** ***with*** ***a*** ***man*** ***old*** ***enough*** ***to*** ***be*** ***her*** ***dad*** ***or*** ***a*** ***32*** ***year*** ***old*** ***marries*** ***a*** ***geek*** ***or*** ***a*** ***man*** ***old*** ***enough*** ***to*** ***be*** ***her*** ***grandpa***.


***ITS*** ***ALL*** ***ABOUT*** ***THE*** ***MONEY***. ***ALWAYS*** ***WAS*** ***ALWAY*** ***WILL*** ***BE***. ***Men*** ***go*** ***for*** ***the*** ***cutest***, ***hottest***, ***sexxxiest*** ***and*** ***women*** ***go*** ***for*** ***security***--***especially*** ***celebrities***.

***You*** ***see*** ***an*** ***old*** ***man*** ***with*** ***a*** ***hot*** ***babe***--***he*** ***is*** ***paying*** ***her*** ***for*** ***sure***, ***marrying*** ***is*** ***the*** ***only*** ***form*** ***of*** ***legal*** ***prostitution*** ***there*** ***is***, ***that*** ***does*** ***not*** ***get*** ***the*** ***girl*** ***slammed*** ***for*** ***negotiating*** ***booty*** ***for*** ***cash*** ***and*** ***property***.

***And*** ***yes***, ***I*** ***am*** ***a*** ***woman***, ***and*** ***yes***, ***I*** ***know*** ***how*** ***this*** ***sounds***--***but*** ***this*** ***is*** ***pretty*** ***much*** ***the*** ***truth***.
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shanev137 says:
Another gold digger gets rich in divorce court. Like this is news. lol
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bequialife says:
What would a gorgeous woman like her want to do with someone that ugly? What is wrong with these lovely women that marry men like that; do they not have any self-esteem?
Help me out here, someone..
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feelfree1 says:

Re: "Salman Rushdie has agreed to divorce his wife, Padma Lakshmi, because of her desire to end their marriage,"

Good call! What was she thinking?

I wonder what Tuna Slowlie is up to these days?
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